WHATELY – The highway barn, one of the most heavily used buildings in town government, must be in bad shape. Members of the Capital Improvement Planning Committee visited the structure recently, and as a result wrote a letter to the Selectboard recommending it begin the process of building a new highway barn.

“It was past time to start the planning for the highway garage,” said Town Coordinator Brian Domina. “It’ll be several years before we get to the construction. That was the sentiment of the committee.”

Domina explained the process would begin with more study, followed by a two-fold approach. The first step will be to set up an oversight committee. The board and Domina discussed the unsuitability of the Municipal Building Committee, one suggested option to supervise the construction process. That committee is too large and would be unwieldy for the highway garage project.

“It sounds like the next step is to figure out the process a little bit better,” said Joyce Palmer-Fortune. “Keep in mind we don’t want a 13 person committee, maybe a five person or seven person committee at most.”

Specific details about when that committee would be formed were not settled. The gathered officials also spoke about the second early effort, finding outside help who will know the technical information and costs of a new building.

Keith Bardwell, Highway and Building superintendent, told the board he has limited technical knowledge of building materials and processes, that an outside expert was essential. He also emphasized that extravagance is not necessary.
“We don’t need a Taj Mahal,” Bardwell said.

Fred Baron, a member of the Selectboard, agreed. “We do need someone to give us the technical requirements and what we need to do,” Baron said. “But we need to supply them with the dimensions and features that, in a perfect world, you would like to see.”

Baron acknowledged, earlier in the discussion, that Bardwell would be the best informed about how the highway barn should be designed to fit the needs of his department. Baron also suggested designs be sought with several price points, “bare minimum, reasonable, and wish list.”

“Just so long as they put electric charging stations in the highway garage, I’m good,” Palmer-Fortune said.

“That’s certainly something that’s got to be incorporated,” Bardwell replied.
Town officials took a step at the end of January that may lead to a funding source for the new highway garage. Domina drafted a letter, signed by Jonathan Edwards, Selectboard chair, offering support for a bill currently in the review process, H.3821, An Act creating a municipal and public safety building authority. The letter of support was addressed to Sen. Walter F. Timilty of Norfolk and Rep. Carlos Gonzalez

Whately’s letter asked for emendations to the bill to include Department of Public Works and highway buildings. While being cheaper than a new town hall, a highway barn may still be too onerous for smaller municipalities to shoulder. The town also requested the total disbursement for the program be increased from $1 million to $2 million.

At that Feb. 9 meeting the board took up a second structure-related issue.
The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) requested the board schedule a Special Town Meeting before April 1. As Domina explained to the board, the Town Hall historical preservation project has been financed with a series of one-year loans through the Community Preservation Act loan program. The town has about $160,000 left to pay off. The CPC recommended paying off the balance before making another payment, which was due on Feb. 15. The pay-off would require a community vote.

Domina suggested there may be other articles to consider, but didn’t venture any guesses.

“I’m sympathetic to it, because it sounds like it’ll save us interest payments,” Palmer-Fortune said. “Interest rates, we know which way they’re going.”
As a result of the CPC’s request, at the Feb. 23 meeting Domina informed the board that a Special Town Meeting will be scheduled for 6:15 p.m on March 23.

The group also discussed the possible dates for Annual Town Meeting and settled on April 24, though no time was mentioned.